Malawi's maize output seen up 8 percent year-on-year

LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi expects to harvest 3.9 million tonnes of maize this year, an 8 percent rise from last year, boosted by good rains and farm subsidies, a government official said on Monday.

Jeffrey Luhanga, principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, said with an annual maize consumption of about 2.9 million tonnes the southern African country would have a surplus of about one million tonnes.

Maize is a staple in Southern Africa and countries with a surplus crop mostly export to neighbouring countries in deficit.